


Quali-Tea Living

by ConstantKrisis



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Human Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Human Peridot (Steven Universe), lapidot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:48:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23002339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConstantKrisis/pseuds/ConstantKrisis
Summary: And they were roommates. (oh my god they were roommates).Human college AU, Lapis is entering her senior year of college and is informed that she is being forced to live with roommates to keep her housing scholarship. She needs to get along with her new roommate in order to pass all of her classes to be eligible to compete on her school's swim team and graduate.
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 84





	1. Welcome to Hell

Lapis Lazuli was a senior in college, which meant the present situation was completely uncalled for.

“What do you mean I have to share an apartment?!” she hissed at the housing office employee. She didn't want to cause a scene, but this was ridiculous. 

The worker forced a smile, but it looked more pained than she probably intended. “I apologize Miss Lazuli, but with the influx of incoming freshmen, the seniors have to share apartment rooms now.” She pointed to her computer monitor and continued, “There are no available rooms with less than two people already assigned.”

Lapis was beyond pissed. She had dealt with bad roommates for the last three years. When someone told her at the end of her sophomore year that seniors got their own rooms, it gave her the motivation to power through. Fucking liars.

After a deep breath to keep her composure, Lapis looked at the woman behind the computer and pleaded, “Could you put me on the waitlist for a single?” She added the most desperate, genuine smile she could muster up.

“Absolutely! We’ll call you if anything opens up! Here are your keys for now, the building and room number are written on them, and have a great rest of your day!”

* * *

When she got to her apartment, she was surprised to find it mostly empty. The basic furniture supplied by the school was all that took up space.

“Hey! Is anyone here to help me carry boxes in?” she called into the apartment. When no one responded, she let out a sigh and began to move in her couple boxes. She was slightly disappointed that no one was there to help, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She had been moving in on her own since her first semester in college. It was something she could pride herself on: her independence. She had never had the option of having someone there to help her so her independence was important to her, but she thought that maybe it was something that she’d like to have some day.

Lapis got her boxes in from her truck without any help and only unpacked a handful of things she immediately needed, like her gym bag. She was in a rush and the housing issue was throwing off her whole day. If she didn't leave soon, she would miss her window of opportunity for an empty swimming pool at the gym. So she grabbed her bag, shut and locked her door, and started her jog to the campus rec center.

Lapis loved the pool. Swimming was an escape. A safe haven. As she swam, all of her problems stayed out of the water; it was only her and her strokes. She tried other sports to see if she could find the same comfort in them. Swimming was different because she didn't have to rely on anyone else - depend on anyone else - to keep improving. Her times were all that mattered. She could swim whenever she wanted, as long as she wanted, and was grateful that her campus’ rec center was open 24/7. 

She took her time, fully enjoying the empty pool before all the new freshmen started to find their way there. Every year, without fail, they always clogged the space during the first month of the semester, disrupting Lapis’ stress-free time. But right before they started, it was perfect; they were all too busy frantically moving in too much stuff and trying to go to campus events. Some of the events were alright, but Lapis hadn’t found the desire to go to any of them since trying a couple out her freshman year, so she took this opportunity to fully enjoy herself.

When she finished, she packed up her stuff and started heading back to her apartment. The first thing she needed to do was shower the pool water out of her hair. The chlorine left weird stains if she left in for too long and she did not like the pool locker room’s showers — the water pressure was not good enough to get it all out. Her apartment was only a short walk away from the pool, ten minutes at most.

By the time she returned, the entire living space looked foreign to her. The furniture was rearranged and pieces had been added, posters and strange art were hanging everywhere, and the shared bathroom space was covered in hair and skin care products. It was almost like the Tasmanian devil had been let loose in the living space.

Lapis had never been organized but coming home to this level of a mess after only being gone for two hours was not a good omen for the rest of the year. She checked to make sure her bedroom was untouched. She did not want to find another reason to dislike her new suitemates already. She knocked on one of the bedroom doors that didn’t belong to her to figure out which one created this mess. 

Through the door, Lapis could hear muffled moans and conversation. She knocked again, louder this time. At this, she heard the voices stop and poorly whisper, “ _Is someone at the door right now?”_ and the people behind the door begin to frantically scatter throughout the room. Lapis took a couple steps away from the door, giving the people inside space for when it opened. And when it did, it was cracked just wide enough for the person inside to peek out. From what Lapis could see, the person she assumed was her roommate was not wearing any clothes.

“Hi, you must be Lapis! Just give me one moment to finish, _um.._ lofting my bed!” squeaked the shrill voice as she quickly closed the door again. After another minute of shuffling and hushed conversation about how ‘lofting the bed was a stupid excuse’ the door opened to her roommate, a tall girl with a slender ballerina-type frame... and _serious_ sex hair. 

“So sorry about that, these beds have always been so hard for me to loft on my own,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m Pearl, your building’s RA, and this—” She opened the door slightly wider to reveal the other woman inside, and Lapis could barely hold back a snort, “—is Jasper, who was helping me... _loft my bed_.”

What were the odds that Lapis’ ex would be sleeping with her new roommate? Or that Lapis’ new roommate would be sleeping with her ex? It was strangely funny to her but she wasn’t surprised about it; Jasper was always into the pretty petite athletes.

Looking at them a little closer, both Jasper and Pearl looked like they had thrown on the first pieces of clothing they could find to keep Lapis from waiting any longer. Pearl’s skirt was inside-out while Jasper was _definitely_ wearing a T-shirt of Pearl’s, the sleeves threatening to snap at any second. The sight made her chuckle a little before speaking. “Don’t worry, Jasper and I know each other fairly well,” Lapis says, the pitch of her voice dropping slightly to recalling the last time that Jasper had _lofted her bed_ (as Pearl had called it). “We dated for a little bit our freshman year.”

Pearl’s face flushed of color. “Oh, this must be embarrassing for you... I-I mean, why would it be embarrassing? It wouldn't be embarrassing. Jasper was just helping me loft my bed. R-right, Jasper?” Pearl was struggling to hold onto words; Lapis could tell she was grasping for whatever piece of dignity she could have left after being caught in the act on Day One.

Jasper looked at Lapis, winked, and let out a deep-chested laugh. “Nah Lapis, don’t let her fool you,” Japer stated her accent was so deeply southern that it almost sounded fake. “We were definitely fucking. Tight ass here just doesn't want to seem _improper_ to her residents.” At this comment, the color returned to Pearl’s face, but the color was a very rosey red. That last shred of dignity Pearl was trying so hard to grasp onto shattered right in front of her eyes.

“Well, I’m sorry for interrupting,” Lapis managed to get the sentence out through her laughter, then remembered why she was interrupting them in the first place, “but I wanted to talk to you about our other roommate.” Her laughter died down completely and her tone shifted to a more serious one. “Her stuff is everywhere. It's messy and it hasn't even been a day yet. This _has_ to be considered a safety hazard. You have to talk to her about this, you’re our RA, that’s your job, right?”

Pearl took a moment to think before answering; Lapis could almost see her gears actually turning in her head, “I think it would be a good idea for _you_ to be the one to talk to her. It’s my job as your RA to assist and mediate, but I believe this is something you can work out, and it's only the first day with the first problem. I know that Peridot can come off as a little—”

“Wait a fucking second,” Lapis interrupted before Pearl could explain any further

Lapis had gone through hell in her life; she refused to live through it again, especially in the form of living with _Peridot_. Peridot had made her life in university up to this point a lot harder than it needed to be. She purposely broke curves, asked professors for additional material for the class, and even made some of the TA’s study sessions mandatory. Everything Peridot had done so far had gotten in the way of her athletics — she was not going to put up with it when she only had one season left.

After taking a moment to get her breathing back to a calm pattern, Lapis exhaled slowly through her nose and turned to Pearl. “You have to be the one to talk to her about this. _Please._ I don't think it will be a pleasant semester _for either of us_ if you don't talk to her. She’s a pain to deal with and I'd rather keep our interactions to a minimum.”

Pearl clapped her hands together with a semi-devious grin on her face in response. “Oh! We learned something new at training this summer to help with problems like this! I’m not going to talk to Peridot, _but_ I will set up a time where we can all sit and talk about our feelings! I think this is a better alternative, don’t you?”

Flushed with rage, Lapis mumbled a, “Whatever, I can just do it myself at this point,” and walked off to her own bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Why make it more difficult than it needed to be? 

She laid on her bed to settle her breathing — the bed was only raised slightly off of the floor, so it was easy to get onto without putting in any effort. She didn’t want to have to deal with lofting it on her own. _Pearl had help with hers.._ Lapis thought to herself, _Pearl and Jasper did the deed in a lofted bed? Kudos to them._ When Lapis had looked through the crack in Pearl’s door during their interaction, she noticed that the bed was actually lofted maybe five feet off of the ground. It took skill to do that and not fall off, she was impressed.

Lapis sat on her bed for a couple minutes, watching her fan slowly turn circles over her head. She didn't want to leave the issue unattended for long, or else Peridot would think leaving their shared home like this was okay. Before she realized what she’s doing, or planned out what to say, she had gotten up to walk down the hall and was pounding her fist on Peridot’s bedroom door.

“What do you want? Clod,” Peridot answered as she opened the door. Peridot was not very intimidating. She was maybe 5’3” at most, scrawny built, and looked like she survived solely off the nutritional value of Doritos. Lapis could definitely handle this. 

“You need to clean up your mess,” Lapis began, “We live here too. It’s a shared space; you can’t just assume you can put anything you want anywhere you want. You need to ask first.”

It looked like Peridot had just woken up from a nap. It gave Lapis a little bit of pride to know she disrupted the nerd’s sleep. 

Peridot took a moment to think about what Lapis had said and answered confidently with the question, “Can I put my stuff anywhere I want, Lazuli?” 

“No! Why do you think it’s okay to just do that?” Lapis was awestruck by Peridot’s audacity to just avoid the problem at hand like it meant nothing.

“You just said I needed to ask first, so I did. What’s the problem?”

Lapis couldn’t find the patience nor the shits to give anymore. “You’re cleaning your stuff. I want that living room _livable_ by tomorrow. And that bathroom counter needs to have room to be used by other human beings. Got it?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before turning on her heels and going back to her own bedroom. She was proud of herself for keeping some level of calm while talking to Peridot. She didn’t need her new _roomie_ to shit talk her to their professors, after all. She got out her alarm clock and set it for her morning practice. She was getting ready to get into bed when there was a knock at her door.

“For your information, Lazuli, the walls are thin; I heard what you said to Pearl. I’ll make living with me less of a _pain_ and get my stuff out of your way. See you in class tomorrow, you clod,” Peridot said through the closed door. Lapis could hear her walk away, and the bedroom door shut behind her down the hall. She crawled back into her own bed and got ready for sleep.

She was not excited to be living with this gremlin. This was going to be the worst year of college.


	2. Party of Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ain't no party like a house party because a house party don't stop. So, instead, Lapis just leaves.

Lapis forgot to take a shower.

It was the first day of her classes and she forgot to take a damn shower before she went to bed. Lapis was not having a cash money time about the entire situation.  She was so distracted by her interaction with Peridot that she had forgone showering in favor of falling asleep angry.

Though, in her rush out the door for her first class of the day, she saw that  Peridot had completely cleaned the formerly-cluttered shared living space. Lapis was genuinely surprised that the nerd had been able to get it all done. It looked like it had taken an army to put it all up to begin with.

_ Or a very determined gremlin. _

But what was really throwing her off was that she didn't hear any of it happen.

She had gone to sleep and when she had woken up, * _ poof! _ * all of it was gone . With the walls as thin as they were, Lapis should have been woken up during the night. But there had been no noise. Absolute silence throughout the night.

Sitting through her lecture with chlorine-filled hair was not ideal. Lapis was hyper aware that she reeked of pool-smell. She knew everyone around her was too, but she couldn't do anything about it. Leaving early wasn't an option; the professor had mentioned that they take attendance at the end of class. So Lapis sat and waited and tried taking some notes, but she was only truly thinking about how mad she was at Peridot for distracting her. Which, in turn, was distracting her from taking said notes. A vicious cycle — one she couldn't escape for the life of her.

Peridot wasn't in this specific class with her, thank god, but they had most of the same ones together.  They had the same major, which didn't surprise Lapis one bit. She  picked this field of engineering because it was one of the easier ones to land a job after graduating with. Peridot picked it because it was one of the harder, more content-dense majors. What a fucking nerd.  Whatever it was that drove Peridot to be such a hardass, Lapis could not figure it out . But Peridot’s hardassery kept her at the top of every class. Lapis’ only motivation was graduating and moving as far away as physically possible.

Lapis didn't really mind the area, though;  Beach City was pretty tame compared to other places she had lived in the past. The restaurants were probably the best she had ever encountered, as small businesses made up the majority of food options. Her favorite out of all of them was a small artisan tea shop: Gem&Vine. 

Before moving to Beach City, she had hated tea of any kind and never understood how people could stomach it. The tea they made at Gem&Vine, though, was absolutely phenomenal. They seasoned it just right with different fruits and herbs. Lapis was in awe the first time she tasted it. Along with that, their store had a space for studying, built specifically for the local student population. It was a good marketing ploy in all reality. They get the customers comfortable in the store so that they will continue to buy more products as they stay and work. Lapis already planned on studying there instead of in her room, avoiding having to deal with Peridot any more than she’d need to. 

The noise of students packing up and leaving distracted her from her thoughts. She put away her untouched notebook and started her walk back home, ready to get the chlorine smell off of her and see whatever new mess might have brewed in her absence. She was really hoping she could avoid all interactions with Peridot, but she knew some would be inevitable. Pearl seemed too social to let them both hide in their rooms, especially with that mention of a group meeting Pearl had suggested yesterday.

  
  


When she entered her apartment, she could hear Peridot blasting EDM from her closed bedroom.  _ How does anyone focus on anything with music that loud? _ With a groan, Lapis put her school bag up in her room and grabbed her shower bag. She wanted to tell Peridot off for being an inconsiderate roommate, but she had more pressing matters at hand. She made her way into the bathroom, turned the water on to its coldest setting while still being able to get some water pressure, and began to scrub. 

Lapis hated having long hair; it was a pain to care for and got in the way of her everyday life. She was used to it, though. She groaned as she worked conditioner down her hair, wondering why she even bothered. Then she remembered what happened the last time she had short hair: her parents had always made sure she kept its length and color natural so she looked like a ‘proper young lady’. At this point in her life, it was almost habitual to keep it like this, even if she never talked to or saw her parents. She changed her last name to hide from them, and for now, it's been effective. She’ll cut it short and dye it one day, but for now, the length and brunette color would stay.

The shower drowned out the loud music, so Lapis took her time. She was enjoying the false sense of calm before the storm. When she finished, she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and found Pearl waiting outside the door. 

“Roommate meeting in ten minutes, get dressed,” she informed with a smile plastered across her face, hickies poorly hidden at the base of her neck. “We’re going to have a group meeting to get a few things sorted out!”  _ God, this girl was a piece of work. _

With a scoff, Lapis replied, “No thanks,” and made her way around Pearl to her bedroom. She knew this would happen, and she didn't need it. She had already talked to Peridot, and she definitely did not need someone to hold her hand to get stuff done.

“We’re planning a party for this Friday. There will be food and drinks; we need to discuss details and preferences,” Pearl continued, following Lapis towards her room. At the mention of a party, Lapis stopped in her tracks. She wasn't one to turn down free food. 

“Alright,” Lapis said over her shoulder, “I’ll be out in ten minutes.” She made her way into her room and shut the door behind her to get dressed, not wasting time to get back out and get the conversation out of the way.

While she had known there would be parties to mark the start of the school year, she did not expect them to be held in their home. And she definitely didn’t expect them to be hosted by one of the RA’s.

After throwing on sweats and quickly running a brush through her hair a few times, Lapis made her way back into the living room, where Pearl and Peridot were already waiting. Peridot was laying on the couch with headphones in, rhythmically tapping at her screen.  _ Probably working on TA stuff already,  _ Lapidot thought. Pearl was scrolling lazily through her phone in one of the two armchairs. She looked up when she noticed that Lapis had entered the room and put her phone down.

“So, on Friday,” Pearl began as Lapis sat herself on the other chair, “we are hosting a ‘small’ party here with the Crystal Gems and a few others.” She made air quotes with her fingers as she said small. “People are bringing food and drinks so all we really have to do is host the space.”

“Question,” Peridot interjected into the conversation, finally peeling her eyes off the tablet in her hand, “Who are these ‘Crystal Gems’ you mentioned?”

Lapis answered before Pearl could. “Pearl’s friend group, very eccentric in their behavior around campus functions, very well known. I'm surprised you're just now hearing about them, nerd,” Lapis jested, earning a slight squint of disapproval from Pearl. 

“Yes, Lapis is right,” Pearl continued before Lapis could keep going, “and with ‘eccentric behavior’ as you call it, it requires a decent amount of space for activities,” analyzing the space around her while talking to the others.

“How much space do you want us to make for this?” Lapis questioned, eyeballing the mostly empty living room and kitchen like Pearl had been. “This should be enough space for a small group without having to rearrange anything.”

Pearl stood up and began to walk around the room. “Well, I plan on moving a majority of the furniture to my room; we don't need anything spilled on the couch.” She lingered next to Peridot and said, “And afterwards, I will just go sleep at Jasper’s. Will you both help with cleaning up afterwards, please?”

Peridot shot up from her chair, “Why? It's your party, and I'll be working that evening.”

Lapis answered for Pearl. “If a friend asks you for help, you help them. I’ll help you with setting up and cleaning up.”

Lapis barely caught Peridot mumbling something under her breath about not being friends with either of them, but Pearl was too far away to hear so Lapis didn’t bother commenting on it. 

“Perfect!” responded Pearl to Lapis’ offer to help, ”meeting adjourned, can’t wait to see you both there.” 

Friday night rolled around and before Lapis knew it, her apartment was filled with a variety of people, all with a different gem of a personality. She struggled to move through the crowd, somehow bumping anyone and everyone on her way towards the kitchen. Lapis was ready to leave, and now that party set-up was entirely done and everyone that was supposed to show up had arrived, Pearl gave her the thumbs up to enjoy the party herself. So Lapis got herself ready to leave. As she poured herself a drink, she mumbled some obscenities about how it isn't even her party and setting up shouldn't have been her problem to begin with. As she turned away from the table to face the ocean of people with her plastic cup, she ended up face to face —  _ erm chest, height difference  _ — with the lopsided grin of Bismuth.

Bismuth was large, probably around six feet tall, and had the width of a Tonka Truck with the strength to match. Her and Jasper were ‘gym bros’ and they lifted together every day, despite all the drama between their friends. Both of them were into Pearl, and Pearl had picked Jasper, causing some tension amongst the entirety of the Crystal Gems. Which was why Lapis was surprised to see Bismuth at  _ Pearl’s _ party.

“Having fun yet, Water Witch?” Bismuth asked, remaining in Lapis’ personal space. Her breath reeked of cheap liquor and her eyes looked glazed over. “You all put together a decent little shin-dig, though I didn't peg  _ you _ for a house-partier.” She stepped around Lapis to reach onto the liquor table to add more to her already almost full cup and took a drink. She didn’t cringe while the bitter liquid poured down her throat as she gulped most of the contents of her cup down and refilled it again.

“I’m not; I was about to leave, actually,” Lapis responded, trying to get out of the small talk before it became a conversation. She made sure to keep her space as she sidestepped through the crowd and towards the door. “You’ll be here the entire time, right? Can you call me if I need to come back for anything?” Lapis asked as she opened the door and began to step out. She wanted to be able to stay, but the loud noises and crowds made her feel like she was drowning in a sea of strangers and sounds. She needed to be able to breathe again.

“No prob, Bob,” replied Bismuth with a raise of her cup.

Lapis grimaced at the name and corrected,“It’s ‘Lapis’” before shutting the door behind her with a thick thud.

-

The outside air was stagnant and thick as it began to transition from summer to fall, and Lapis loved it. Watching the leaves begin to shift in colors was her favorite part of the season, reminding her that things were always changing no matter what else may be happening. After leaving her new home, she made her way to the roof of the Engineering building, as it was the best place she found to enjoy the fresh air without interruption. She drank from her cup and watched the clouds roll by as the last bit of sun crossed over the horizon.

Just as she was starting to get comfortable, the squeaking of the door to the roof caused Lapis to snap out of her daze and spin around to see who was interrupting her quiet thoughts.

Lo and behold, Peridot was using her back to open the push-door, hands full of textbooks and papers. When she spun around she dropped all of her books and papers, startled to see the roof already occupied. Bending over to grab all of the scattering papers, Peridot glanced up to ask, “What are you doing here, you clod?”

Lapis got up to catch the papers Peridot missed before they flew away. “Right now, saving your ass from losing these assignments.” She caught one just as it was about to fly off of the roof, balancing herself on the edge to reach for it.

Peridot started her rebuttal, “I don't need you to save my ass, Lazuli-,” but was cut short when she looked up to see Lapis on the ledge, “OH Jesus CHrist get away from there!”

“Pff, calm down, I have my wings, no reason to worry.” Lapis motioned with her thumb to her back in an attempt to joke around with her roommate. She made her way over to Peridot to hand her the papers and said, “And I could ask you the same thing, Peridot. What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at Pearl’s party.”

With a smirk, Peridot answered with, “Well, you thought wrong,” and walked her way out from the door frame, beginning to weigh down her work with textbooks. “It’s too loud there to focus, and I need to get these done before Friday.”

Lapis looked at the clock on her phone. “Today  _ is _ Friday, Peridot, better get on that.” She made her way back towards the ledge to sit and dangle her feet off the side .

Peridot scoffed. “For  _ next _ Friday; I’m appalled that you would think I would have work habits similar to  _ yours. _ ” Spite was rolling off the last word like venom. “You should work on getting your act together if you want to graduate on time instead of getting drunk by yourself on a roof.”

It was Lapis’ turn to scoff, “First of all, I'm not by myself, you're here aren't you?” she asked rhetorically. But when she saw Peridot begin to open her mouth to respond, she continued, “And second, this is water,” pointing to her cup, “I don’t drink anymore. Take your assumptions and shove them right back up your ass,” and took a drink. 

“But you are on the edge of being able to graduate, aren't you?” Peridot asked very analytically, but with slight concern sneaking into the end of the question. She wasn’t wasting time on the insult, but seemed to be focused on the task at hand.

Lapis chuckled, “‘On edge’, was the pun intentional?” she asked, motioning to the ledge she still had her legs dangling off of.

“No,” Peridot answered, not looking at Lapis and continuing her work

“But,” Lapis sucked in air between her teeth, “Yes. I am on the line, I need a decent GPA this semester to be able to finish off in the Spring on scholarship. I can’t afford it otherwise.”

Peridot took a minute to respond.  _ Probably trying to come up with a witty response, _ Lapis thought to herself. What Peridot actually said surprised her more: “If you want help, I lead the study sessions for the classes we share,” she offered, not looking up from the papers she was grading. “You can show up to any of those.”

_ I probably should,  _ she thought, watching the last of the sun disappear behind the horizon. She knew that was what she needed to do, but her ego stood in the way of beneficial decision making. Peridot would hold it over her head, as if doing this kind deed would put her on a pedestal above Lapis. A competition for who was the better person, which Lapis knew was stupid to think, but she couldn’t help it. It was a competition now, and she needed to win.

She stood up to leave, turning to really look at her roommate. The smaller girl was still focused on this task in front of her, which helped it finally click for Lapis. Lapis would just be a project to Peridot, something to fix, a statistic to improve. This girl didn’t care to see Lapis succeed, she only wanted to be ‘the better person.’ On her walk to the door, without looking down at Peridot, Lapis answered, “I appreciate the offer, but...” She was prepared to entirely turn down the offer, but did not want to add more tension to their living situation, so opted for a more neutral response for the time being. “Swim practice makes my schedule hard to work around.” She turned to look at Peridot, waiting to see what snide comment the blonde had next.

“The offer stands, Lazuli. I don't want to see you, or anyone for that matter, fail out of the program.” Peridot sounded slightly hurt, stopping her grading to look at Lapis. For the first time, Lapis saw some emotion hidden behind Peridot’s usual scowl. Her eyes looked softer. If Lapis wasn't looking right at her, she would have missed it. 

Lapis turned back to the door, smiling slightly at the thought — her robot of a roommate actually had some feelings locked away in her mechanical heart. “Don’t spend too long up here; Pearl wanted us both to help with cleaning up, remember?”

“No prob, Bob,” Peridot responded with a thumbs up. “I'll come home after I'm done with this pile.”   
After an exasperated groan, Lapis asked, “Where the hell did that name even come from?”

“I heard Bismuth say it to you before you left,” Peridot chuckled. “I didn't anticipate that it would bother you this much though. Won't happen again, Lazuli.”

_ Fucking nerd,  _ Lapis thought as she left the roof, starting her walk home to clean a party she didn’t attend, filled with friends that she couldn’t bear to be friendly with. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back in business! More to come as more gets done.


	3. Study Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh wow! a tea shop chapter.. who wouldve thought?

Weeks passed and Lapis decided it's finally time to get help. Academic help, that is. She rifled through her papers to find out when the class study sessions are. 

When the  _ Peridot led  _ study sessions are. 

The closest one was this evening, and fuck, she wasn't ready for the teasing to follow her admission weakness, the caving of her morals. But she knew this is what she needed to pass these classes. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she needed Peridot’s help. Such a  _ fucking Nerd. _

Lapis arrived at the classroom a few minutes early to find it completely empty. “What the fuck...” she mumbled under her breath, expecting at least a handful of students to be there. She sat down anyway and started to work alone reluctantly, hoping the change of scenery will benefit her more than studying at home did.

It didn't. It was all just as hard as it was anywhere else. Equations weren't working properly, numbers weren't adding up, graphs looked wrong. Lapis took a deep breath and huffed out a long sigh. The work wasn't going to do itself though, so Lapis opened her textbook and started reading to see where the issue might be arising.

This was the most studying she’d put in this semester aside from completing the homework so she wouldn’t automatically fail all of her courses. Study time was hard for her to come by, and if she wanted to put more time in, she’d have to start sacrificing sleep. Sleep was already hard enough for her to come by; cutting some of what she already got might prove to be dangerous to her athletic performance. Yet she wouldn't have her athletics without her academics... it was a seesaw of a decision that needed to be put on the backburner. She needed to study  _ now  _ and her tutor was nowhere to be seen.

After maybe fifteen minutes of silent working, Peridot was the first person to walk into the classroom, music blasting out of the headphones she was wearing so loud that Lapis could faintly hear it. Peridot paid no attention to the classroom, instead she set up her books and notes before she started to write on the chalkboard. Not once did she turn around to acknowledge the study group that currently only consisted of Lapis. It was as if Peridot expected no one to have shown up. Peridot continued working problems out mechanically, only stopping to consult numbers on her iPad perched on her arm. Lapis watched in a trance as the math seemed to flow from Peridot's fingers through the chalk. As Peridot continued to work, she began to hum. 

It was quiet, unnoticeable to the point that it could have been mistaken as breathing, but Lapis caught hint of the tune and watched intently. She caught how her writing was on beat with the tiny hums, how there was a small sway to her body as her arm painted math across the board.

_ Fuck, that’s kinda cute.  _

**Wait.**

_ No. _

_ No, that’s not correct. _

_ That’s Peridot. _

_ She’s not cute in any way, shape, or form. She is a pain and only a pain. _

When Peridot turned back to consult the textbook on the desk, she jumped at the sight of Lapis in her peripherals.

“What are you doing here, you clod?!” Peridot snapped, face immediately reddening at the realization that she was not alone in the classroom and that Lapis had seen her dance around like a fool the entire time. Lapis almost got whiplash from the aggression in Peridot’s tone. 

So, Lapis did her best not to raise her voice, but her tone had hints of spite when she answered, “You're the one that told me to get help if I need it! Why are you getting mad that I'm actually here?” 

“Well maybe because you waited a month and a half into the semester to finally get it,” Peridot rebutted. Peridot  _ was _ right, even if Lapis didn't want to admit it. She should've started coming as soon as her grades started to slip.

Lapis struggled to swallow her pride, but when she did she finally mumbled, “You’re right...”

“I’m  _ what,  _ Lazuli _? _ ” Peridot jested, feigning ignorance. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? I didn't quite catch it the first time.” The smirk took up most of Peridot’s smug face. She was rubbing it in Lapis’ face, and Lapis was doing all she could to remain level headed.

Lapis scoffed at her roommate's attempt at humor. “I'm not going to say it twice, Peridot.” Lapis could feel the tone of their picking and prodding treading on almost friendly ground. To change the subject off of her she added, “Where is everyone else?”

Peridot’s smile vanished as fast as it had appeared. “No one else usually shows up.” Her voice trailed off as she spoke, almost as if she was embarrassed that she still came to teach an empty room.

“If no one else shows up... Why are you here?” Lapis prodded, genuinely curious why Peridot would waste her time coming all the way back to campus when she could just work in her bedroom.

Peridot turned her back to Lapis so that she was facing the front of the room. ”In the off chance that someone shows up, like you did today. And,” she paused with a deep sigh, “...I really like writing on the chalk boards. It's very sensually pleasing,” admitted Peridot in a quiet voice.

“Ew, don't use ‘sensual’ in casual sentences, nerd.” Lapis shivered at the thought of Peridot finding anything  _ sensual,  _ but continued, “Peridot, if it's only us, we can go study somewhere else. I'm really feeling like going to get some tea.”

“If you want tea, we can just do a quick trip to the gas station then come back.” Peridot suggested, continuing to write on the board without falter. Lapis gagged at the thought of going to a gas station for anything food related that wasn’t prepackaged.

“I'm talking about quality tea, Peridot. Have you never been to the coffee and tea place Gem & Vine?”

“No Lazuli, I haven’t. I don't waste my time gallivanting around the city; I spend my time preparing to graduate, like you should be doing.” Peridot’s voice had hints of salt with a pinch of curiosity. This was something she didn't know about, and Lapis knew that Peridot thrived on knowledge. So Lapis wasn't surprised when Peridot asked, “What is ‘Gem & Vine’ anyway, since you sound fond of it?”

Lapis froze, barely able to get her jaw to work to ask her roommate, “Peridot, you have really never been? I thought something like this was right up your alley.” 

Peridot turned her head over her shoulder to look at Lapis when she asked, “Up my alley how?”

Lapis smirked at her ability to know exactly how to get Peridot’s attention. “It’s nerdy like you. We’re going, pack up your things. I’ll drive.” 

Lapis hastily threw her things into her bag and watched Peridot struggle to get all of her things in order and put away, tripping out the door with textbooks haphazardly shoved in her bag. Papers flew out of her bag like a cartoon as she struggled to keep up with Lapis’ stride.

When they both got into the car, Lapis plugged her phone into the aux port and started driving. Neither of them started any sort of conversation — that would be too friendly. The only sound was Lapis’ music. She didn't exactly want to be friendly with Peridot either; it bothered Lapis that the smartass couldn't even stay off her phone for the extent of the car ride.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Peridot opening and closing tabs and apps. When Lapis stopped at a red light she turned to really look at what Peridot was doing, but as soon as Peridot saw Lapis looking she locked her phone. Lapis turned down the music to ask, “Whatcha doing, trying to be secretive? Do you not want me to see you tinder surfing?” She chuckled at the thought of what Peridot’s tinder account would look like.

Peridot grumbled, “No, Lazuli, I am not on Tinder. I don't waste my time on that type of activity like you probably do.” she opened back up her phone and showed Lapis the screen. “If you must know, I'm logging these songs into my music application. I’m quite enjoying this genre;, it's different from my usual selection.”

“Peridot,” Lapis started with a sigh, “I can just send you the playlist. All you have to do is ask.”

Peridot brightened at the suggestion, “Oh! Could I have the playlist?”

“Pffft sure,” Lapis scoffed, “I’ll send it to you when we get there. Though, I didn't peg you as someone that would enjoy country music. What do you usually listen to?”

“EDM,” Lapis audibly gagged at Peridot’s response, “There is nothing wrong with EDM Lazuli! It keeps me alert while I study.”   
They continued to argue over Peridot’s music taste until they arrived. Lapis parked her truck and made her way to the building, but she couldn't hear Peridot following behind her. When she turned around she was met with Peridot staring in awe at the building. It was once a textile mill that got remodelled into small art studios and restaurants, the building was covered in various murals in different spots and the water tower in the parking lot was illuminated by different colored beams of light. It was definitely a sight to take in, with so much happening in such a small amount of space she could understand how Peridot could be starstruck by it all. Especially since she was convinced that Peridot only left the school campus for sleep and fast food.

“Hey,” Lapis called out to her roommate, walking back towards her to get her attention, “If you like the outside, we should come see the inside when it’s all open. But for now, we’re getting tea and studying, and we can't do that with you standing here with you chin on the pavement,” Lapis tapped the bottom of Peridot’s agape chin, resulting in a grimace and a swat of the hand from Peridot, “We’ll come back on the weekend and i'll show you around.” They made their way up to the building, Lapis leading the way to the only unlocked door and held it open for her roommate.

“You want to spend more time with me outside of necessity, Lazuli? You sure are full of jokes today.” Peridot responded, but before she had the chance to quip at Lapis any more she was silenced by the sight of the interior of the store.

-

The feeling of the interior was rustic and modern at the same time, most of the furniture was repurposed and the smells were a natural comfort. Lapis watched as Peridot took it all in, starry eyed as she tried her best to see everything within a matter of seconds. Edison bulbs were the first thing to grab her attention, they hung from the ceiling to illuminate the space while keeping the atmosphere warm. Then, the hand crafted furniture scattered throughout the room. But every time Peridot turned and looked somewhere else within the room, there was something new to look at. 

While her roommate was distracted, Lapis took the opportunity to order for both of them and pay before Peridot could. She was the one that brought them to the small business, it was the least she could do (even if money was tight). Once the tea was done, Lapis nudged Peridot out of her trance and led them to a table where they could get some work done.

“How long has this place been here?” Peridot asked, still eyeing the interior as she got her textbook and tablet out. Lapis handed Peridot her tea, watching the smaller girl take a sip.

Lapis drank her own then responded, “About ten years or so? All their stuff is locally grown too right here in Beach City, big supporters in supporting the local economy, and all that jazz.”

They continued small talk for a little while longer, some time passed as Lapis and Peridot’ conversation hit a lull and they began to really get to work. Lapis did what she could on her own before consulting Peridot for help, and when the next step was made obvious, she’d continue working with an understanding “huh” and get back to working. Peridot continued her work in silence, leaving Lapis to do as much as she could on her own until she needed any more help. When Lapis finally finished she gently shut her book to not disturb Peridot’s focus and stood up to get herself another tea

“You do well with your work when nudged in the right direction,” Peridot started, not looking up from her tablet as Lapis sat back down. Lapis had to admit she was jealous of the nerd’s ability to stay focused on the task at hand, Lapis could never have the patience or focus to be able to mimic her roommate's intensity. But she would never verbally admit it, only internal dialog. Can’t inflate her ego any larger or it might pop, and she didn't want to have to clean up that mess.

So instead, Lapis sighed as she gave an answer she knew Peridot was waiting for from the question she didn’t have to ask, the ‘ _ why?’ _ , “It's hard for me to get it on my own. Sadly, you can't be there to nudge me during tests,” Lapis sighed, eyeing the stack of ‘completed’ papers in Peridot’s grading pile, which was almost all of them.  _ She’s like a machine,  _ Lapis thought to herself,  _ maybe spending some time with the nerd would be good for me. _

“But, why is it such a challenge for you? Once assisted you understand it enough to finish, so where is the issue stemming from? ” Peridot pried. Lapis did not usually share much about herself, so she was hesitant about talking about her past with Peridot. So she beat around the bush.

“I got.. hit in the head a lot when i was younger, “ Lapis trailed off but snapped back to reality fast to finish the thought, “from sports injuries!” She yelped, not doing too well to successfully discrete .

“Which sports?” Peridot asked, though her tone came across as feigning interest for Lapis’ sake. Thankfully she wasn’t prying about the causation of the injuries.

“Rugby and swimming, the injuries came from rugby more than swimming, but i did hit my head on the pool walls a few times,” Lapis added with a slight chuckle, “multiple sports kept me busy after school, i loved it but it was straining on the body, and mind.”

“Understandable, you have the build of someone that has played rugby,” Peridot’s eyes lifted from her tablet to look at Lapis, slowly making her way from head to toe as if she was scanning the swimmer. The action made a shiver snake down Lapis’ spine, but as soon as Peridot finished her observation, she looked back to her tablet before continuing, “your legs and glutes are very toned. Though, your shoulders and back are more suited for swimming, very lean.” 

Lapis felt color begin to rise in her cheeks. Being observed so intently was embarrassing to say the least, having someone pick apart how you look at such a physical and structural level was not something that happened every day. Which made her even more uncomfortable than she already was. Lapis shuddered in her seat, “You can’t just do  _ that _ , Peridot. It’s weird to talk about people like that.”

Peridot set her pen down and looked over her glasses at Lapis’ face, then her eyes darting up and down once more, “Well why can't I, Lazuli?” The question in addition to the look she received made the hair on the back of Lapis’ neck stand up, sending another shiver down her spine.

“Because it’s awkward, Peridot. I’d expect you to have some knowledge of social skills in that computer you call a brain. Did the university not have a social skills class you could’ve signed up for? Because Jesus Christ you need one,” Lapis stopped herself from continuing. She was being rude and she knew it. Peridot was here to help, she couldn’t be acting like this.

Without making eye contact, in a very quiet voice Peridot answered, “No, they dont I checked,” Peridot took a deep breath while she pinched the bridge of her nose then looked up at Lapis, her eyes piercing through Lapis’ most basic defenses, like she was Peridot’s next problem to analyze. Peridot spoke up, her voice a little too loud for their public setting, “If i’m going to be helping you pass, Lazuli, you could at least attempt to be less of a headache.”

Lapis scoffed and looked away, leaning back in her chair, “I’m the headache? You’re the one that’s been giving me chronic migraines since our freshman year here. I’ve had to work my ass off just to pass these classes because  _ you _ keep breaking every curve the professors have set up. God, Peridot. It’s already hard enough as is for me.”

“That’s why we’re here isn't it? I help you pass your classes and I get absolutely nothing in return. A Perfect trade!” The sarcasm dripped off of Peridot’s words.

Lapis took a sip of her tea as she contemplated a fair trade off for taking Peridot’s time. She hated the idea of owing the nerd anything, but she was a good person (or at least thought she was) and wanted to make sure she wasn't going to mooch off of her roommate, “Okay, how about we say I'm teaching you ‘Interacting with Other Organic Life Forms 101’, if you want I can even give you a grade at the end of it all,” Lapis attempted to make Peridot laugh, “maybe I'll even turn you into a teachers pet, it’ll be fun,” she got Peridot to chuckle slightly at the joke but she really perked up when Lapis suggested the more appealing option of, “or, i could just buy you more tea.”

“I prefer the latter. I at least get something beneficial out of our interactions that way.”

They worked out a schedule to meet up to work on their class work. Peridot suggested mornings, which didn't fit well into Lapis’ swim schedule. Peridot suggested for Lapis to just skip the practice, and Lapis explained how she really could not skip the sole reason she’s able to afford to continue at the university. So instead, Lapis suggested lunch, which Peridot couldn’t make because that's when she met with their professors for office hours.They came to the conclusions that evenings worked best for them both to get meet up without a strenuous time limit. Lapis would work on the homework and ask Peridot for assistance when necessary, and Peridot would study, grade papers, and help Lapis when she needed it.

-

When they got home from their first (and definitely not last) study session, Peridot did something unexpected, “Lazuli,” she started as Lapis unlocked their front door, “Thank you for getting me out of my comfort zone for the evening. I enjoyed working in a change of scenery and trying the tea place,” she looked down at her feet and shuffled around a little, “Also, I apologize for making you uncomfortable with my comments about your athletics. I was just observing.”

“Peridot, don’t worry about it. I know you didn’t mean anything by it,” Lapis opened the door for Peridot and watched her roommate walk in, eyes still fixed on the ground, “just don’t make a habit of it or i’ll have to assume you're hitting on me,” Lapis added with a chuckle.

Peridot whirled around, cheeks pink as she stuttered out in defense, “I would never. No it’s not that i would never. I would- I Mean i could- no, that's not quite right,” she pulled her hands down the front of her face and groaned, “Lazuli, you really test my patience. Don’t make me regret helping you.”

Lapis stood in the living room and watched as Peridot walked into her bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. A wave of instant panic washed over Lapis as she realized that she’ll be spending a lot more time with the school’s resident smart-ass. She sighed and went to her own bedroom, submitting her assignment online before climbing into bed. _At least it couldn’t get worse,_ she thought to herself.

heh.


	4. April Showers bring Ma-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis knows post swim practice showers are a must, but who would have thought going to her apartment shower would be more crowded than a community shower..

It had been a couple years since she dated anyone, the last girl Lapis had dated was Jasper. It didn't end poorly, they had just struggled to see eye to eye on a lot of matters and decided they were best suited for being friends, which turned into just being acquaintances. She was apprehensive about dating as a whole, her trust in other people’s motives was practically nonexistent. Everybody wanted something out of someone, but Lapis decided it was time to try again. She let Jasper, of all people, set up a blind date for her and was looking forward to it.

Her day had gone like any other; wake up, go to class, go to the pool. Practice had been amazing- Lapis had practically glided through the water. She had a pep in her step as she left the gym, and didn’t even realize she was nearly home until she saw her building. She had completely zoned out, mind racing as she thought about her blind date later that evening. The more 

she thought about it the more she realized that she desperately needed a shower to get the strong scent of chlorine out of her hair. 

When she arrived home, she quickly tossed her bag into her bedroom, grabbed a towel and rushed into the bathroom. She wasn't planning on her date getting far, she didn't even have the slightest idea who Jasper could have set her up with, but she did want to shave and smell slightly less like an athlete for whoever it might be. The first impression is a lasting one.

Laps turned the shower on to warm it up, and started playing some music. She wrestled with her clothes, her joints clicking like gears as she lifted her arms to get her shirt off. The practices were becoming intense, and it showed as she struggled to stretch out her back, her muscles rippling under her skin in protest as she strained to reach down to remove her socks.She shivered as the chill air hit her exposed body and darted into the shower and closed the curtain. Lapis strained to start scrubbing her hair to get as much of the pool out as possible, but it was futile at this point of the pre-season. Her arms didn't have the strength to dig into her scalp, she was in the pool so often it was a piece of her.

Before she could start rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, she heard the bathroom door creak open, “Occupied!” Lapis called through the curtain into the bathroom.

“No need to shout, Lazuli, I'm quite literally 3 feet from you,” responded the nasally voice of Peridot, “I’m just gelling my hair, there is enough privacy for us to share the bathroom.”

“Just wait until I'm done, Peridot,” Lapis snarled, she wanted to be able to focus on getting ready for her date, but the sound of Peridot humming along to Lapis’ music was almost deafening, Lapis was bothered by everything this nerd was doing and it-

_ FUCK _

Shampoo got all in Lapis’ eyes. She squeezed her eyelids together in an attempt to push the shampoo out. It stung, but not as bad as-  
“I’d think you'd be more willing to have people around with how few friends you have, Lazuli,” with that, Lapis froze. She was used to Peridot’s banter, but that low blow came from nowhere, “If you want to keep pushing people away like your old friends did to you, by all means continue.”

“What the  _ fuck,  _ Peridot?!” Lapis spat, still struggling to open her eyes through the shampoo layer, “Get out so I can get dressed, you prude!”

“Is ‘prude’ really the best you could come up with?” Peridot asked, her voice seeming to be projecting at Lapis now instead of at her reflection in the mirror, “you can’t even give an accurate insult, Lazuli,” the voice sounded slightly closer than it was before.

“Fuck you, Peridot!” 

The sound of the shower curtain moving was the next thing Lapis registered before she heard Peridot respond with, “I would much rather fuck you instead,” and step into the shower.

Lapis backed up until she was pressed against the shower wall, she still couldn't see and the thought of Peridot having the advantage of sight in this situation made a shiver run down her body and up her legs.The shock of Peridot’s erratic behavior made Lapis weak in the knees. She had never thought of her roommate in a sexual way. She especially didn't expect Peridot to be so straightforward. But, as she felt Peridot’s presence in front of her inch closer and closer, she felt herself getting wet (and not just from the shower water). She didn't realize how badly she was craving the sensation of being touched by another person again until right then.

The panic faded as she felt Peridot’s lips crash against her own and her arousal grew stronger. She felt Peridot’s lips crash against hers, Lapis sunk into the softness of them, feeling her panic dissolve into the kiss. Lapis felt Peridot’s skin against hers as her body followed shortly after her lips, which Lapis realized meant that Peridot was intentional and confident in her current actions. Peridot was keeping Lapis still against the shower wall with a surprising amount of strength. Lapis let Peridot completely take the lead, following the shorter girls movements. She shuddered as she felt Peridot’s tongue brush against her lips, a small moan escaping her as she opened her mouth wider in invitation to continue.

Their mouths eventually broke apart and she felt Peridot’s hand snake around her body and make its way into her hair, pulling it back to fully reveal her neck. Lapis felt a lump in her throat form as Peridot hungrily eyed what looked to be

“I know you've been wanting this, Lazuli,” Peridot breathed as her mouth made contact with Lapis’ neck and began to make quick work of it, leaving a trail of hickies from the base up to her ear. Lapis’ hands made their way into Peridot’s hair, which somehow was still staying up despite being in the shower.

Lapis froze when she felt Peridot’s other hand come up to cup her breast while Peridot continued to work on her neck. Peridot teased at the nipple between two fingers, and Lapis couldn't help but let out another soft moan, “Where is this coming from?” Lapis tried asking. Instead of answering, Peridot moved her mouth back up to Lapis’, using her tongue to silence the confused yet turned on Lapis.

Lapis moved her hands from Peridot’s hair and down her neck, pulling her in to deepen the kiss. Peridot’s tongue circled Lapis’ in calculated movements, almost like she had studied exactly what would make Lapis’s knees weak. And as Lapis started to slip down the shower wall, Peridot’s leg shot up right between Lapis’ to keep her steady, and an, “ _ Oh Jesus Christ, _ ” slipped out of Lapis’ mouth before she could stop herself.

“Can’t have you falling over until I’m finished with you,” Peridot growled into Lapis’ mouth, moving her hand down to Lapis’ hip to control her movements against Peridot’s thigh. Lapis leaned her head back against the wall, reeling in the sensation. . She in turn started moving her hips herself, speeding up the tempo Peridot had initially set. The friction that they were creating between Lapis’ legs made her eager to touch her roommate in return, the feeling was too good for her to be feeling on her own. 

Before Lapis could even lay a finger on (or in) her roommate, Peridot’s hand shot out and grabbed Lapis by the wrist. Fingernails dug into the soft flesh as Peridot leaned in and whispered into Lapis’ ear, “We’re focusing on you first, Lazuli,” and even though the use of her last name usually bothered Lapis, hearing it in this context and infliction made Lapis whimper.

Peridot pressed Lapis’ hand into Lapis’ chest and down her body, then moved her thigh slightly to slide the hand in between the two of them, “If you want to speed along the process, you can help yourself out,” Peridot whispered as she nipped at Lapis’ ear, then started leaving a kiss trail down to her very erect nipple.

Lapis followed Peridot’s suggestion and started teasing at her entrance, feeling her roommate’s teeth brush against her nipple caused her thighs to clench and her to moan out a “Peridot.”

Peridot froze immediately, breaking away from Lapis nipple to demand, “Louder,” then grabbing both of Lapis’ breasts and pinching her nipples. Hard. “Say my name louder, Lazuli.”

Rocking her hips forward to insert two fingers in, Lapis moaned out, “Peridot.”

Another stroke, “Peridot!”

“Louder.”

“PERIDOT!” Lapis screamed out, only to be jolted back to reality by hearing a knock on the door.

Her eyes shot open. A knock on her bedroom door. She had been asleep, having a very very wet dream.

“Why are you calling for me, Lazuli?” Peridot’s voice came from the other side of the door. Lapis’ yelling wasn't just in the dream, she had been yelling out in both the dream and real world. She reached down to feel her underwear, and they were absolutely soaked through.

“Nevermind, Peridot,” Lapis responded to her roommate, “I- I found what I was looking for,” she stood up off her bed and almost immediately hit the floor, her legs trembling as she stumbled to the door to fumble with the lock, letting out a relieved breath when she realized it was locked. The thought of Peridot walking in on her in this state sent a wave of anxiety through her. 

“Alright, I will see you in approximately three hours for our study session, do not be late,” with that, the sound of Peridot’s footsteps slowly faded. Lapis leaned back against the door and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. She buried her head in her hands with a deep sigh.

_ At least it was only a dream.. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes im alive! lets get this show back on the road!!


End file.
